Dad and Mom were married fifty four and one half years when he passed away in October of 1991. He had really struggled with Rheumatoid arthritis for about 25 years and in his last 5 or so years it became steadily more debilitating. Mom was right there "hovering" over him day and night through it all.
They married on May 23 and in her journals Mom always wrote some type of commemoration of that day. Here are a couple of those entries that you might find interesting.
"Today (1996) we have been married 59 years. That is amazing to even think about. We never tried to set any records, we just lived to the best of our abilities and with our trust in God. God just had to make the way for our good living because we married very young - I was 17 and Harold was 19. Our parents must have really worried about us because of Harold's terrible accident in losing his left eye in March of 1937. That was tragic to us all but on May 23 that same year we slipped off with some close friends and got married. Those days were all fun to us, even now remembering it was Big Singing Day in Benton, Ky. We left the singing together and took a ferry boat across the river to Metropolis, Ill, found a man at the courthouse and he married us, a Justice of the Peace. Harold and I, in our last years on this earth, decided we made the best choice looking back on all our years together."
In 1999 on their 62 year anniversary, Mom wrote these words -
"Most people have a big blast and expensive weddings. Ours was a big blast and a wonderful time to be alive - happy and just came naturally for two people who had been together, dating for two years. We had fifty four and one half years together. Our blessed family is the greatest legacy of living the Good Life.
We have always striven to do our best in caring about each other and to know how to live happy together as a dedicated family. Not easy, but necessary! We have had great examples living before us to follow our Good Life.
My years and having NO REGRETS as Harold always said, has been much love and happiness and peaceful time to remember. I know the Good Life, and living is a consolation to me and hopefully all our beautiful family of 33 people."
Mom's dad was NOT happy they slipped off and got married. He told me once that he just wanted to see her become a lawyer and he knew when she married my dad that was never going to happen. Mom always said that my Dad was her diploma and all she ever wanted was to be a wife and mother and take care of her family. Mom and Dad lived with his parents for a while after they married because her Dad was so unhappy with their marriage. But, after a little time passed my Grandad's disappointment began to fade and they were able to stay with her parents too until my sister was born.
Family is the glue that holds any society together. God intended it that way and when we allow His love and His guidance to take us by the hand and lead us into a way of life that He designed before He even made the universe, it works. Every time!
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